Creative Commons

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Saint Louis we celebrate our own holiday–Opening Day. It seems like this civic celebration normally happens the first week of April, but this year it falls on the last day of March. I guess it’s like Easter. It doesn’t come on a specific day of the calendar, but this year it seems early. On the other hand, given the weather we’ve had this winter in the Midwest, it can’t come soon enough.

Don’t get me wrong. This “official” start of summer is no respecter of the weather man. It has been known to snow here on the “boys of summer”. But today is a rite of passage for most of us and spring and summer can’t be too far behind.

During the course of the year, we have no shortage of harbingers, days that mean that something is about to happen. For most of us Memorial Day means the beginning of summer and Labor Day means the end, even though the calendar says otherwise. The thing is, we all need hope. Without it, we wouldn’t even bother to get up in the morning. Saint Paul tells us that of faith, hope, and love, the greatest is love. And, it’s hard to argue the point.

But, hope springs eternal. Hope keeps us going. And some of us may even hope for love.

Of course, the greatest sign, the greatest promise of hope is Easter, when Jesus defeated death and made eternal life possible for you and me. As we enter the second half of Lent, I hope that you find encouragement and hope in whatever penitence you’ve chosen for this special season. I promise I will continue to pray for you and I hope you will pray for me.